The Atlanta Falcons were down three points, with less than two minutes left and the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in possession of the ball. You'll never guess what happened next.
After a furious drive to send the game to OT, the Falcons stunned their NFC South foes on a 45-yard KhaDarel Hodge touchdown to win 36-30. The biggest star of the night: Kirk Cousins, who shook off a slow start to his Falcons tenure with one of the biggest nights of his career.
The former Minnesota Vikings starter finished 42-of-58 for 509 passing yards, four touchdowns and an interception. He picked the Bucs apart in the drive to force OT, then hammered them again after the Falcons won the second coin toss.
The Falcons' comeback erased an excellent night for Baker Mayfield, who was 19-of-24 for 180 yards, three touchdowns and no interceptions. The Tampa Bay run game also combined for 160 yards on 26 attempts. But some late missteps spelled doom for a team that no longer leads the NFC South.
The Falcons' Wild Comeback
When Kirk Cousins threw an interception on a fourth-and-15 late in the Atlanta Falcons' "Thursday Night Football" matchup against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, it seemed like the game was over.
The Falcons still had all three of their timeouts remaining, but with 1:44 left in regulation and the Buccaneers already in field goal range, their chances of winning seemed slim.
But Atlanta's defense stopped Tampa Bay cold on its drive. The Buccaneers were driven out of field goal range and forced to try to defend a three-point lead with 1:14 left.
The Falcons nearly ran out of time to get that game-tying field goal. They drove downfield as fast as they could, but the clock was running after Cousins connected with Drake London on a 14-yard gain with 12 seconds left.
Cousins somehow spiked the ball with one second left. That allowed Younghoe Koo to kick the game-tying, 52-yard field goal and send the game to overtime.
From there, the Falcons offense continued its dominance, marching 70 yards in four plays to earn the 36-30 win.
Cousins' Record-Breaking Performance
Cousins starred during the contest, logging a Falcons record 509 passing yards, four touchdowns and the one interception. His 500-yard game was just the 25th in NFL history and helped the Falcons stake an early claim to first place in the NFC South.
Key Moments of the Game
Overtime
The Falcons pull off the win! They find a way to score a game-tying field goal in the game's final second before driving 70 yards with ease for the winning touchdown in overtime.
Kirk Cousins finishes the game with 509 passing yards and four touchdowns. That's good for a Falcon record and marks just the 25th time a QB has gone over 500 passing yards in an NFL game.
Kirk Cousins connected with Drake London on a third-and-3 to give the Falcons a first down in overtime. London crossed midfield before he was tackled but took a shot from Zyon McCollum. He stayed down briefly before walking off the field under his own power.
London will miss at least one play. He has 12 catches, 154 yards and a touchdown in the contest.
Just a quick refresher about the NFL's regular-season overtime rules:
The Buccaneers called tails during the overtime coin toss, but it came up as heads. Atlanta will start the extra period with the ball and a chance to earn a victory with a touchdown.
The Final Minute of Regulation
The Falcons somehow managed to get the ball into field goal range and Kirk Cousins spiked the ball with 1 second left. Younghoe Koo came on to attempt a 47-yard field goal, but Atlanta was flagged for a delay of game penalty.
Koo still managed to make the 52-yard kick, and we're heading to overtime.
So much for Tampa Bay being in field goal range. They lose 14 yards on their possession because of negative plays and a holding penalty.
The Falcons get the ball back at their own 20-yard line. They have 1:12 and no timeouts left to get into field goal range to at least extend the game.
Atlanta wasn't able to get any positive momentum after recovering Irving's fumble. Tyler Allgeier ran for 2-yard loss and Kirk Cousins was sacked for a loss before a short dump-off on third down set up a fourth-and-15.
Rather than punt with all three timeouts remaining, the Falcons decided to go for it. Cousins threw the ball into double coverage and it was intercepted by Lavonte David.
The Falcons will now be forced to use all their timeouts to try to get the ball back. But even if they do, the Buccaneers will still be able to attempt a field goal.
The Big Play from Bates
The Buccaneers logged two third down conversions on third-and-2s after Atlanta's missed field goal. It looked like they were going to get a chance to run the clock out on the Falcons, but Irving, a rookie running back, had the ball punched out of his hands be veteran safety Jessie Bates.
The Falcons recovered the fumble and will now have just under three minutes to orchestrate a game-tying, or game-winning, drive.
The Mooney Drop
It looked like the Falcons were going to have a first-down, and potentially a touchdown, to Darnell Mooney after Kirk Cousins delivered a nice pass to the veteran receiver on third-and-8. However, Mooney inexplicably dropped the pass, forcing Atlanta to try a game-tying field goal from 54 yards away.
Younghoe Koo missed his second kick of the day, as the Buccaneers were able to block it. Tampa Bay gets the ball back in good field position, leading by three with 6:29 left in the fourth quarter.
McLaughlin's Big Kick
The Buccaneers jump back ahead thanks to another long field goal from Chase McLaughlin. Baker Mayfield played a key role on that drive as a scrambler, racking up 18 yards on a run that got Tampa Bay across midfield and earning a couple of yards on third down to set up McLaughlin's kick.
The Falcons will get the ball back trailing by three with 10:23 left in the fourth quarter.
The Mooney Touchdown
The Falcons were stuffed for a 2-yard loss on third-and-2 Tyler Allgeier run, but Atlanta decided to go for it on fourth-and-4. They ran the hurry-up offense and Kirk Cousins found Darnell Mooney past the sticks for the first down. He made a man miss and scampered into the end zone to complete the eight-play, 70-yard drive.
Younghoe Koo made the extra point, and we are all tied up at 27.
The First Half
The Falcons ripped off a couple of chunk gains to end the third quarter, with Ray-Ray McCloud making a 22-yard catch and Bijan Robinson ripping off a 29-yard run to put Atlanta on Tampa Bay's 17-yard line.
The Falcons have outgained the Buccaneers, 379-271, but will need to find the end zone quickly to erase Tampa Bay's lead.
The Bucs earned their first points of the second half, as Chase McLaughlin knocked through a 32-yard field goal to extend Tampa Bay's lead to 27-20.
However, of more importance was the fact that Baker Mayfield went to the ground awkwardly after being sacked by the Falcons. He was twisted over the body of a player who was down and appeared to be favoring his leg as he left the field.
Mayfield walked under his own power to the sideline and remained on the bench, so there doesn't appear to be too much cause for alarm.
Cousins continues to impress in his "TNF" Falcons debut. He has completed 26-of-36 passes for 315 yards and two touchdowns with 6:21 left in the third quarter.
Cousins' career high in passing yards is 460, so he might have a shot to near that mark if he continues to throw the ball well against the Buccaneers.
Younghoe Koo continues to atone for his early miss from 41 yards. He nailed a kick from 48 yards away after another quality Falcons drive that was derailed by an untimely offensive pass interference penalty.
Kirk Cousins already has eclipsed 300 passing yards, but he would surely trade some of those yards for another touchdown drive.
Tampa Bay was stymied on its first drive of the second half, as a penalty and a two-yard loss on a Rachaad White screen backed the Buccaneers up. They were nearly bailed out by a penalty called on Antonio Hamilton, but the flag was picked up, as Hamilton hit Baker Mayfield just before the quarterback ran out of bounds on a third-and-20.
The Falcons will get the ball back on their own 21-yard line looking to continue the offensive success they enjoyed in the first half.
The Falcons had a chance at a 56-yard field goal with 19 seconds left in the half but opted to punt rather than risk missing the long kick. That allowed the Buccaneers to take a seven-point lead into halftime.
Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins are both playing well, as Mayfield already has three touchdowns while Cousins threw for 253 yards in the first half. Either could be in line for a history-making performance if they continue to produce at the same rate in the second half.
The Buccaneers will get the ball to start the second half and will have a chance to take a two-score lead on the Falcons when they come out of the locker room.
Baker Mayfield found his former Oklahoma teammate, Sterling Shepard, in another tight window to give the Buccaneers their third touchdown of the first half. Mayfield has thrown all three of them, along with 131 passing yards.
The Buccaneers are now up 24-17 and the Falcons will look to answer that score with 1:56 left in the second quarter and three timeouts.
Rachaad White ran for five yards on his first four carries against the Falcons. On his next carry, he found a big hole in the middle of the field. He ran 56 yards before a Falcons defender brought him down, and that set the Buccaneers up for another scoring opportunity.
After missing from 41 yards away earlier in the evening, Younghoe Koo made it from 54 yards away. He just snuck it inside the left upright after missing his earlier attempt wide left.
The Falcons and Buccaneers are now tied at 17 with 6:17 left in the second quarter.
Drake London was evaluated for a head injury, but he was cleared to return. He is now back on the field, so the Falcons will have their No. 1 wide out available for the rest of the "Thursday Night Football" contest, if all goes well.
The Falcons did, however, lose cornerback Dee Alford for the evening to a concussion.
The Buccaneers took less than two minutes of game time to answer Atlanta's score. Baker Mayfield found Mike Evans open on the left sideline and hit him in stride for a 23-yard touchdown. Evans then threw the 100th touchdown football into the stands at a group of Buccaneers fans. It was reminiscent of when he did the same thing with a Tom Brady milestone football during the 2021 season.
Tampa Bay's 44-yard drive was set up by a great kick return by Sean Tucker. He brought the ball all the way across midfield and to Atlanta's 44-yard line, immediately positioning the Buccaneers on the edge of scoring range.
London took a shot to the head from K.J. Britt on the Falcons' touchdown drive, and he is being evaluated for a head injury. He was treated in the blue medical tent but has since gone back to the Falcons' locker room.
Kirk Cousins fired a laser to Darnell Mooney in a tiny window, and the first-year Falcon managed to make the catch. He came down just across the goal line to notch the score and put Atlanta back in front, 14-10.
Cousins is now 12-for-15 for 176 yards and two touchdowns in the first half. And there's plenty of time left to go in the second quarter (11:58).
The Buccaneers were called for just the game's second penalty at the opening of the second quarter. K.J. Britt went in to hit Drake London coming across the field, but accidentally hit him in the head with his shoulder.
The officials flagged Britt for his misstep, giving the Falcons 15 yards and a first down. Meanwhile, London walked to the bench under his own power, presumably to get some medical attention.
The Falcons and Buccaneers are both off to hot starts offensively. The two teams combined for 17 points and 223 yards in the first quarter, with both Baker Mayfield and Kirk Cousins performing well in the passing game.
Funny enough, both team's starting running backs were outperformed by their backups in the first quarter. Bucky Irving outgained Rachaad White, 16-6, despite receiving just one carry, while Tyler Allgeier had one carry for 8 yards compared to Bijan Robinson's 12 yards on five carries.
And it's still early, but Younghoe Koo's missed field goal could loom large if this ends up being a back-and-forth offensive-minded clash.
Tampa Bay's second drive stalled out, much like Atlanta's did. Baker Mayfield couldn't connect with Chris Godwin on a third-and-3, as the quarterback threw behind his receiver, so the Buccaneers trotted Chase McLaughlin on for a long field goal attempt.
McLaughlin's kick was true, unlike Younghoe Koo's, and split the uprights. That gives the Buccaneers their first lead of the game.
Kirk Cousins is off to a strong start against the Buccaneers. He has completed 7-of-8 passes for 108 yards and a touchdown over the team's first two offensive drives. There's still 3:30 left in the first quarter, so he could be in for a big first half.
Vita Vea was able to sack Kirk Cousins on a third-and-5 on the Falcons' second drive, as the 347-pound defensive tackle bulled through running back Bijan Robinson to take down Atlanta's signal caller.
Younghoe Koo was called on to attempt a 46-yard field goal, but he missed it. He was bailed out by an offsides call against the Tampa Bay defense but he sent it just wide left from 41 yards as well.
It remains 7-all and the Buccaneers get the ball back at their own 31-yard line.
The Buccaneers answered the Falcons' scoring drive in short order. Baker Mayfield found Mike Evans wide open in the middle of the end-zone on a first-and-goal from the 2-yard line. The play-action call fooled Atlanta's defense and allowed the Bucs to get the game-tying score.
Mayfield went 5-for-6 on the drive for 57 yards. Evans was his top target, as he caught three passes for 26 yards and the score.
The Falcons offense started strong, orchestrating a seven-play, 70-yard drive to get into the end zone. Kirk Cousins found Drake London over the middle of the field and saw his talented receiver bounce off contact and cross the goal line to give the Falcons the first points of the game.
Younghoe Koo knocks through the extra point to make it 7-0 early in Atlanta.
Kyle Pitts was held without a catch for the first time in his NFL career in Week 4. The Falcons made up for that by getting him an early, downfield target that put Atlanta just on the fringe of Younghoe Koo's field goal range.
The Game
"Thursday Night Football" will exclusively stream on Amazon Prime Video.
Viewers in the Tampa Bay market can watch the matchup on Fox 13, and those in the Atlanta area can watch it on Fox 5.
Yes, Matt Ryan officially retired from the NFL during the offseason. He signed a one-day contract to retire with the Falcons, for whom he played 14 seasons and won NFL MVP in 2016.
Ryan will be inducted into the Falcons' Ring of Honor at halftime of Thursday night's game against the Buccaneers.
Here are the USA TODAY Sports staff’s predictions for the “Thursday Night Football” matchup for Week 5:
Al Michaels (play-by-play) and Kirk Herbstreit (analyst) will be in the broadcast booth for Prime Video, with Kaylee Hartung (sideline) and Terry McAulay (rules analyst) providing additional coverage.
The Prime Video pregame, halftime and postgame shows feature Charissa Thompson as host, as well as former NFL players Ryan Fitzpatrick, Tony Gonzalez, Richard Sherman and Andrew Whitworth as analysts.
Taylor Rooks is the feature reporter for Prime Video's "Thursday Night Football" coverage. Albert Breer provides reports and analysis.
The Buccaneers will be without Pro Bowl safety Antoine Winfield Jr. (foot) and starting right tackle Luke Goedeke (concussion) on Thursday night. For the Falcons, linebacker Troy Andersen, who had a pick-six in Sunday's win over the Saints, had been ruled out with a knee injury.
Buccaneers' inactive players:
Falcons' inactive players:
The Falcons are favorites to defeat the Buccaneers, according to the BetMGM NFL odds. Looking to wager? Check out the best mobile sports betting apps offering NFL betting promos in 2024, including the ESPN BET app and Fanatics Sportsbook promo code.
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The early returns on Kyle Pitts at the NFL level demonstrated promise. He recorded a 1,000-yard season as a 21-year-old rookie and figured to trend up from there.
Instead, Pitts has struggled to reach that level of production again. Some blamed former Falcons coach Arthur Smith for those issues, but Pitts' plateau has continued under the leadership of new head coach Raheem Morris and offensive coordinator Zac Robinson. And that's despite the Falcons adding Kirk Cousins – Pitts' best quarterback partner since Matt Ryan in 2021 – to the fold.
The Buccaneers enter the Week 5 “TNF” showdown in sole possession of first place in the NFC South. However, with a win tonight, Atlanta will move into a tie.
The Falcons are opening the roof for their Week 5 game against the Buccaneers. It's easy to understand why, as it will be a beautiful night in Atlanta, with a high of 76 degrees at kickoff and a low of 71 at midnight.
According to the Weather Channel, winds will max out at 5 mph while chances of precipitation are at less than 5 percent for the game.
These teams first played each other in the 1977 NFL season with Atlanta winning 17-0 in that game. They've played 61 games total against each other with Tampa Bay holding a slight edge in the divisional rivalry, 31-30. Since 2020, the Buccaneers have won six of the last eight meetings.
The NFC South has been one of the weakest divisions in the NFL in recent years. The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have won the NFC South for three consecutive seasons.
The Saints got off to a hot start before cooling down in recent weeks. The Panthers seemed hapless before Bryce Young was benched, but have found a little bit of an offensive spark with Andy Dalton under center.
However, the Atlanta Falcons are the current favorites in NFC South odds heading into their divisional clash with the Buccaneers on "Thursday Night Football" in Week 5.
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